Review on Sony SAL-135F18Z: High-performance 135mm f/1.8 Carl Zeiss Sonnar T Telephoto Lens for Sony Alpha Digital SLR Camera by Somsak Pornthip ᠌
The best I ever used, recommend it to everybody.
This is, without any stretch, the best glass in its class, the brightest star in the entire line of lenses for Sony. And yes, perhaps the best portrait lens on the market. I had experience with the Canon 135 2/0L and I can say that it surpasses it in the most important thing - in the final perception of the picture, and surpasses it convincingly. But it is inferior to "Elka" in practicality for professional use and in autofocus speed. The difference in their price, I think, is justified. A must have lens for all Sony portrait photographers. And in itself one of the most convincing arguments for the transition to this system.
- 1) Emotional perception of pictures. Definitely, there is some magic in the photographs from him. The picture is simply mesmerizing. Even from the unremarkable composition of the frame made on him, it is impossible to take your eyes off. In skillful hands, he is not at all capable of doing something different from masterpieces. 2) Exceptional optical qualities. Very fast for such a focal length. High contrast, dense, saturated color. And, perhaps, the most important thing is a soft transition to the blur zone, which gives the picture such volume. 3) Precise autofocus 4) Excellent sharpness from wide aperture
- 1) Autofocus, although accurate, is rather slow, which makes the lens unsuitable for shooting sports. However, there are completely different glasses for this. 2) Dimensions and materials. This is the largest and heaviest glass in the class. The lens is completely metal, which in practice is not good. It is not for nothing that the main manufacturers of optics, starting from the mid-80s, tried to use high-quality plastics and rubber in the decoration of even professional models. Of course, that same "feeling of premium", for which marketers are ready to sacrifice everything, appears at the first glance at it, and intensifies when you pick it up. This was clearly done not for professionals, but for wealthy amateur photographers. For the pros, this excellent blackening wears down to metal after a couple of months of heavy use, which does not add to the resale value of the lens. In addition, the metal is quite thin, which, combined with a large mass, leads to the most deplorable consequences even with a small fall. In winter, you can’t shoot without gloves on it, your fingers tan immediately. 3) A hood made of the same metal as the lens is very heavy. In addition, the mount for it on the lens is plastic. With frequent use, it loosens instantly. No matter how blasphemous it may sound, it is better to replace this beauty with a light Chinese lens hood, at least in order to preserve the lens itself. 4) There is no protection against twisting the focus ring beyond the working positions, which creates a high risk of accidentally damaging the mechanics. Strange for a lens for such money.
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